Vodafone issues -what do I do

TheDriver · 23-10-2019 9:16pm #1

Bought a phone from vodafone, ported number over etc.
Phone is giving awful trouble constantly loosing signal and not able to make or receive calls. Tried other SIM cards in phone and same issue, tried other phones and no issues. So it's the phone.
Been for repair 3 times, can't replicate the issue.(it will work fine until you start moving between towers). No point sending it back again and again.

I'm starting to get the run around. I have the phone 60 days and more than half have been in the shop. I don't even use the sim anymore as I was stuck so had to get an eir sim to use in my old phone.
Vodafone don't seem to want to deal with me.
Feeling frustrated and wondering where can I call time on their run around or any action I can take? Live chat etc isn't very suitable for this type of long complain email but no one will give me an email address

HeidiHeidi · 23-10-2019 9:23pm

I've recently had (different) hassle with Vodafone, and was driven demented trying to contact them.

The app won't work, the website won't work ( my info seems to have been wiped from both), live chat doesn't work, their helplines just cut off after about 20 menu selections.

I eventually got someone to respond to me via Twitter DM (all tweets to them were ignored although they were responding to other tweets at that time), who almost a week later finally rang me to discuss and promised to investigate. I've got one holding message since and still no resolution. This whole thing started about three or four weeks ago.

I wish you luck. But Twitter DM was all that worked for me.

TheDriver · 23-10-2019 9:42pm

Thanks HeidiHeidi. I got a reply on livechat but they seem more concerned about my details rather than helping me. I'll never buy a phone from them again, at least amazon would just replace it in the 1st 2 weeks if you said it wasn't working properly.

HeidiHeidi · 23-10-2019 9:45pm

I'm paying a bloody fortune to them because their coverage is best and their customer service was brilliant.

I dunno what's changed with CS lately, but its abysmal. I'm very close to contacting the regulator to see if they can help.

Gooser14 · 23-10-2019 11:14pm

Send a formal complaint by registered post to Vodafone and copy the letter to ComReg. See their Code of Practice at the following links:

https://n.vodafone.ie/aboutus/code.html

https://n.vodafone.ie/content/dam/gowingmyself/pdfs/Vodafone_Ireland_Complaints_Code_of_Practice_12022018.pdf

TheDriver · 23-10-2019 11:58pm

Does comreg have any control when it's about hardware and not service?
I already sent a written complaint via messenger which I thought is as good as writing a letter and I was told I needed to ring customer care.

Muahahaha · 28-10-2019 1:46am

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I've recently had (different) hassle with Vodafone, and was driven demented trying to contact them.

The app won't work, the website won't work ( my info seems to have been wiped from both), live chat doesn't work, their helplines just cut off after about 20 menu selections.

I eventually got someone to respond to me via Twitter DM (all tweets to them were ignored although they were responding to other tweets at that time), who almost a week later finally rang me to discuss and promised to investigate. I've got one holding message since and still no resolution. This whole thing started about three or four weeks ago.

I wish you luck. But Twitter DM was all that worked for me.

Had the exact same problems with Vodafone earlier this summer. Had no internet for weeks due to a faulty router which went back to the shop 3 times but still wouldnt work. Tried ringing the call centre dozens of times and left my details for a call back but no-one ever called back. Contacted them on Twitter and they told me to call the call centre. In the end I contacted Comreg who mediate , they were helpful but they allow the operator 10 days to respond which Vodafone didnt do, then Comreg contacted them again and they got another 10 days. It eventually got resolved though I was left without internet for almost 8 weeks. In the end they offered to reduce my bill from 45 to 30 till the end of the contract, I was so annoyed with what they had put me through that if there wasnt a sweetner it was off to the small claims court, something I knew they wouldnt want the expense of.

If you or The Driver want the email address of the person I was dealing with in customer escalations then PM me.

JTMan · 28-10-2019 10:40am

Had a similar horrible experience with Vodafone. Calls not returned, emails ignored, call centre impossible to reach and store ignored voicemails. Eventually got hold of someone in customer care who resolved the issue ith the home broadband after a lengthy conversation.

Back in the day Vodafone used to have good customer care, these days it is almost as bad / as bad as Eir.

TheDriver · 28-10-2019 11:39am

Thanks folks for the advice and offer of help. I rang CS on Thurs and asked to speak to manager to get a complaint ID. They refused and told me it's a shop issue. I've now given VF til Thurs to replace or refund or I'm off to comreg. I think refusing to accept a complaint may be their downfall.

Ten Pin · 28-10-2019 12:41pm

IMO faulty phone is probably more a "sale of goods" case (repair replace refund). If it is then Comreg might not deal with it, not saying they won't but they might only deal with equipment that is part of a service contract (bill pay phone contracts etc).

If Comreg won't deal with it then it's back to VF and then Small Claims if VF won't resolve the issue.

Muahahaha · 28-10-2019 12:48pm

JTMan wrote: »

Had a similar horrible experience with Vodafone. Calls not returned, emails ignored, call centre impossible to reach and store ignored voicemails. Eventually got hold of someone in customer care who resolved the issue ith the home broadband after a lengthy conversation.

Back in the day Vodafone used to have good customer care, these days it is almost as bad / as bad as Eir.

Pretty much this. Vodafone were always a good bit more expensive than other telcos but for that you got decent customer service. That seems to have changed now, I dont know what is going on in their call centre but it is pretty clear that they do not have the staff to answer the volume of calls. When I contacted Comreg I told the chap there that you literally cannot get through to Vodafone as I'd been trying for weeks, he said that I wasnt the only complaint about this and lots of people were having the same issues.

TheDriver · 28-10-2019 2:18pm

Ten Pin wrote: »

IMO faulty phone is probably more a "sale of goods" case (repair replace refund). If it is then Comreg might not deal with it, not saying they won't but they might only deal with equipment that is part of a service contract (bill pay phone contracts etc).

If Comreg won't deal with it then it's back to VF and then Small Claims if VF won't resolve the issue.

I was thinking that initially but if it tied into the reason you moved to vodafone and hence part of the service which all originated from VF, then COMREG might have something to say about it. The shop assistant even suggested the comreg route.

Muahahaha · 02-11-2019 11:58pm

Comregs 'What we do' page is quite vague just saying that they regulate the telecommunications sector on behalf of the consumer. Go ahead and try them anyway , it may well be part of their remit. I found their service pretty good, I actually got through to them first time within 30 seconds rather than the dozens of attempts I made to contact Vodafone over a number of weeks. As mentioned they give the operator 10 days to respond, if they dont then ring again with your case number and they'll get onto them again.

https://www.comreg.ie/about/what-we-do/

TheDriver · 11-11-2019 11:38pm

To update, I heard back from Vodafone on day 10 and guess what, they suggested I send it in for repair again. I said to hell with this and referred the matter to comreg. Got an acknowledgement that Vodafone should be in touch once they talk to Vodafone. . 1 week later and I've heard nothing from anyone.

Muahahaha · 13-11-2019 7:38pm

With my own issue they didnt respond within the 10 days they were supposed to. They then got another 10 days and responded on day 9 iirc. So almost three weeks waiting for them to answer an email from Comreg and only to start to deal with the problem. Comreg should be holding them to better standards than this

JTMan · 13-11-2019 7:40pm

Awful that Vodafone are not even actioning requests from Comreg in a timely basis.

Vodafone care has gone to crap.

Hard to believe but Three now have the best care out of the big mobile providers.

Vodafone issues -what do I do

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